


Not Like This

by PrinceSnoozy



Series: Not Like This [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gunshot Wounds, Ignis being a mom, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Rough Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-29 20:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13935105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceSnoozy/pseuds/PrinceSnoozy
Summary: Noctis is distracted for a moment and gets someone hurt.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was originally going to be for HurtNoctWeek's free day, but I just couldn't get it to fit the theme I chose so I scrapped that.
> 
> Special thanks to members of the Night Sky server for helping me pick the scenario for this, and for putting up with me writing fics like this live (also sorry).

Bullets whizzed past Noctis as he flipped himself into a pole arm attack on the nearest Magitek Soldier, a swordsman who nearly knocked him off-balance with a well-timed counter-attack. Ignis shouted instructions from somewhere behind him, but the sound of metal on metal was too loud for him to make the words out. Gladiolus brought his great sword down on the MT just as Noctis staggered backward, and he used the few seconds it spared him to shake off the counter and summon a sword to his hand. He noticed for a moment that Prompto wasn't in his line of sight, when bullets from a pistol with an unmistakable timbre struck the rifleman to his far left. Clearly, he was somewhere behind him.  
  
It was just their luck that a drop ship found them on a simple quest for ore, and on the way back to the Regalia, no less. They were down to just the three-- well, two, now that Ignis dispatched one of the two riflemen that were more trouble than they should've been worth. Now it was just this swordsman and another rifleman, both of which had their sights trained on none other than the Crown Prince of Lucis.  
  
Noctis let out a cry of frustration as his blade bounced off the MT's sword, pain shooting through his upper arm and elbow for a moment before he let the blade vanish into the Armiger for a moment. Another swing of Gladio's great sword collapsed the MT to the ground, where it scattered at the joints of the metal suit. Pivoting on his heel to his right, Noctis warped with a pole arm to the rifleman that had given him almost more trouble than he could dodge. He hopped back and recoiled to prepare to lunge, just before he caught a flash of blond hair just off to his left.  
  
"Prompto!" he yelled, before warp-jumping straight into the air.  
  
"Goin' for it!" Prompto yelled back, just as the pole arm struck and impaled the ground.  
  
Prompto darted forward and grabbed the lance's shaft with one hand, pistol in the other, and used the momentum to slide in a wide and fast arc on the ground. At the apex he fired off a shot at the rifleman, knocking it off-balance and giving Gladio an opening to strike it with an overhead attack. Prompto swung himself out of the way while Noctis hopped off the lance, and Noctis let it dissolve into the Armiger while he gave Prompto a quick clap in celebration.  
  
"Noct!" Prompto shouted suddenly, his voice at a near-screech, and tumbled into Noctis just as a rifle shot sounded.  
  
Noctis hit the ground with his shoulder and rolled several times, coming to a stop face down in the dirt. He groaned and pushed himself up on his arms, letting his forehead fall into his forearms when his head swam. A faint ringing in his ears disrupted the sounds of the MT falling to the ground nearby, as well as hurried footsteps that preceded a hand landing on his shoulder.  
  
"Noct?!" Ignis's voice cut through the ringing as the hand shook his shoulder. Noctis pushed himself up on his elbows again and looked up at Ignis, blinking away the dazed feeling. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah," Noctis replied too quickly, shaking his head.  
  
"You're uninjured?" Ignis's voice was heavy with dread.  
  
"Yeah, but why would I be...?" Noctis's voice trailed away as Ignis looked up toward where Prompto had collided with Noctis a few moments before.  
  
Just a short distance away, Prompto lay on his side in the dirt, one arm under his head. Gladio had already jogged over, slowing beside Prompto. Noctis sat still for a moment, his eyes wide, his rapid breaths shallow.  
  
Prompto wasn't moving.  
  
"Prompto!" Noctis called out, his panic ripping the name through his throat.  
  
He tore his shoulder free from Ignis's grasp and half ran, half stumbled over to his friend's motionless form. He slid to a stop on his knees, eyes searching over Prompto frantically. One of Prompto's arms covered most of his torso, so Noctis took him by the shoulder and moved him carefully onto his back, where his arm slid over to his side onto the ground.  
  
Noctis's eyes searched again, then stopped, and he pulled in a sharp breath as he found a torn hole in Prompto's shirt, the surrounding area soaked in blood. On reflex, he threw his arms forward and overlapped his hands onto the wound and pressed down, letting out a strangled noise as the bloodstain spread beneath his hands.  
  
"Shit," he hissed, flexing his arms to press harder against the wound, his eyes stinging. Nothing existed but his hands on Prompto now, and the fact that Prompto _wasn't waking up_ , so he didn't see Ignis approach and kneel down opposite him.  
  
"Noct," Ignis said, placing one hand over Noctis's. "Move your hands."  
  
"I have to stop the bleeding, Iggy," Noctis replied hurriedly, tightening his grip on his own hands.  
  
"Noct--"  
  
"I'm not letting him die for me!"  
  
Noctis looked up at Ignis, meeting green eyes widened in alarm. Noct narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth, a lump forming in his throat as the regret set in. Ignis held a potion flask in his hand, his other still over Noct's pressing into Prompto's stomach. Without another word, and with reluctance, he withdrew his hands from the still-bleeding wound, letting his eyes flick over to Prompto's face. His head lay to one side, his eyes closed and jaw slack against a pale face.  
  
Noctis swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked away just as Ignis broke the flask over the wound. They both watched as the bleeding slowed to a stop, and Gladio knelt beside Noctis on the ground just as Ignis set to fussing around with Prompto's vest.  
  
"Gladio, help me roll him," Ignis said quickly, holding the bottom hem of the vest.  
  
Gladio reached for his shoulder and lifted Prompto back onto his side, Noctis's eyes not missing the slow rise and fall of his friend's chest. Ignis pulled the vest away from Prompto's back, his other hand feeling about in a place Noctis couldn't see.  
  
"What is it?" Noctis asked, surprising himself at how raw his voice sounded.  
  
"Aha," Ignis said under his breath, running his hand over an area low on Prompto's back. "It seems we won't have to subject him to amateur surgery at camp, as the bullet went straight through."  
  
Noctis took a slow breath through his nose, relieved more at the calm tone of Ignis's voice more than his reassuring words. He closed his eyes as Ignis and Gladio shuffled around Prompto, voices sounding hushed. His eyes still stung, his lashes clumping together and his face felt damp with sweat. He opened his eyes, his gaze on his hands, and he brought them up toward his face to stare at the blood that stained them.  
  
Prompto's blood.  
  
"You comin' or what?" Gladio's voice boomed in his head, startling him.  
  
Gladio stood above Noctis, holding Prompto in a bridal carry. He stared down at Noctis, looking irritated, before averting his eyes with a small huff. He turned and started toward the direction of the car, while Ignis remained behind staring down at Noctis with a cast of pity over his eyes.  
  
"Are you alright to stand?" Ignis asked carefully, his voice quiet.  
  
"...Huh?" Noctis breathed in reply, his hands dropping into his lap. "Of course I am." His voice cracked, and it was that moment he realized he wasn't just sweaty, and he quickly rubbed at his face with the back of one hand in a too-late attempt to hide that the evidence that he was crying.  
  
Ignis stared at him a moment more, long enough for Noctis to stand, albeit unsteadily. They both walked in relative silence back to the Regalia, where Gladio stood waiting with the still-unconscious Prompto in his arms. Noctis lowered his head as he slid into the backseat, not looking up as Gladio placed Prompto gently onto the seat beside him, his head resting just against Noct's thigh, before plopping himself down in the front passenger seat.  
  
As Ignis started the engine and pulled off onto the road, Noctis reached down ran a hand through Prompto's blond hair, the usually-fluffy locks damp with sweat. He ran his knuckles gently across the freckles on his face, smiling sadly as Prompto sighed under his touch.  
  
Noctis kept his hand resting against Prompto's head, not once taking his eyes off him the entire trip to Galdin Quay.

* * *

The door to the hotel room opened, and Gladio waved as he walked out through the threshold.  
  
"Goin' for a run," he called back, more at Ignis than anyone else, closing the door before Ignis could even nod in acknowledgment.  
  
With a chair pulled up beside one of the beds, Noctis sat watching Prompto as he lay on the bed, still unconscious, but breathing with the pattern of sleep. He sat forward, his arms resting on his knees, his hands clasped loosely as he kept watch, waiting. Ignis approached him, but not directly, sitting down somewhat stiffly on the corner of the bed. Noctis worried his hands together, his jaw clenched and eyes reddened from tears.  
  
"Noct," Ignis said softly, though he couldn't hide the concern and almost scolding tone from his voice.  
  
"I know," Noctis replied just as softly, letting out a sigh. "I fucked up, and now Gladio's mad at me."  
  
"Well, yes, but that's not all." Ignis shifted his weight a bit on the mattress, crossing one leg over the other. "To put it plainly, I'm concerned. Even in the absence of potions, that wound wouldn't have been fatal, I know you're aware of that."  
  
Noctis hung his head, taking in a long breath as he clenched his hands together. His gaze darted up as Prompto made a noise in his sleep, but looked away again when he didn't stir. With another sigh, he set his eyes on Ignis.  
  
"I just..." His voice trailed off as he searched for words. "I just got scared, okay?"  
  
"I'm aware," Ignis replied sternly, his eyes never wavering from Noctis.  
  
"And I guess, I guess I got too caught up in the moment, and then..." He let the sentence trail off unfinished, turning his face away again.  
  
"This more than likely will happen again, Noct."  
  
"I know." He slumped his shoulders.  
  
"It's our duty to protect you, not only as your guard, but as your friends."  
  
"I know." He clenched his teeth as he spoke, his muscles tensing.  
  
"Therefore, it's pertinent you deal with these feelings you have promptly, lest you fall victim to them again." Ignis took a moment to adjust his glasses before returning his gaze to a dumbfounded Noctis.  
  
"W-What are you talking about?" Noctis asked, his face growing hot.  
  
Ignis didn't answer, merely kept his eyes on Noctis, that is until a noise disturbed the silence in the room. They both looked to the bed to see Prompto stirring in his sleep, his nose crinkling slightly as he groaned in discomfort. Ignis rose from the bed and headed for the door, pulling it open slightly.  
  
"I expect by the time I return," he said, glancing back at Noctis over his shoulder, "that you have dealt with them and will be suited for battle again."  
  
With that, he disappeared through the door and closed it behind him, leaving Noctis alone in the room with the unconscious Prompto. Noctis turned his attention back to the bed, his eyes widening as he met with sleepy blue eyes.  
  
"...Noct?" Prompto's voice was faint, but he was awake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some fluff with a side order of angst

Prompto winced as he sat up, scrunching his face together as one hand grasped at his side where he'd been shot. He looked over at Noct through one squinted eye, letting out a small laugh.  
  
"So... where are we?" he asked, light in his voice.  
  
"The hotel in Galdin Quay," Noct said quietly, averting his eyes to look at his hands.  
  
"Man, I was out long enough for you guys to get back here? Damn." He laughed again, a tinkling sound that had Noctis bringing in a sharp breath. Prompto looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "You okay, buddy?"  
  
"I..." Noctis's voice shuddered, his hands working themselves together. "I'm... I'm sorry."  
  
"What for?" Prompto asked, seeming innocent, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "Oh, man, don't tell me you guys went out to Wiz's ranch _without me_!" he added, an over dramatic flair coating his voice.  
  
Noctis didn't react to it, simply staring at him almost dumbfounded. He reached out, aiming for Prompto's arm, but grabbed one of the pillows instead. He leaned out of his chair to set it behind Prompto's back, then, after Prompto gleefully leaned back onto it, he returned to the chair, one palm resting on the bed.  
  
"That's not it," Noctis said finally, letting out a long, laborious sigh. "I... It's my fault you got hurt, and... I'm sorry."  
  
Prompto's face fell, and he averted his face away, letting out a shaky laugh. He stared across the room for a few moments, breathing carefully. Noctis kept his head down, hand gripping loosely at the duvet, until a hand landed on his and he looked up to see blue eyes staring into his.  
  
"Noct," Prompto said, his face serious and almost embarrassed, "were you... were you _that_ worried about me?"  
  
"I..." Noctis averted his eyes to the side for a moment, his face growing hot. "Of course I was. You weren't moving and you were bleeding and... I-I thought the worst, so..." He didn't finish the thought, instead letting it dissolve into the relative silence of the room as he set his eyes on Prompto again.  
  
Prompto, to his credit, smiled, but his eyes betrayed a sadness that the Noctis couldn't identify. He pulled on Noctis's hand, urging him to sit on the bed, which Noctis followed without question. Prompto leaned closer, taking Noctis's hand in both of his own.  
  
"You got me shot on purpose, is that what you want me to say?" Prompto asked quietly, giving Noct's hand a gentle squeeze.  
  
"That's... that's not..." Noctis reached for the words that never came, instead stumbling across broken thoughts. "It's... not what I said."  
  
"It's what it sounds like," Prompto replied, letting his hands along with Noctis's fall into his lap. "For the record, I meant to get us _both_ out of the way. Maybe I was more dizzy than I thought, I dunno."  
  
"Prompto..."  
  
"Noct." Prompto kept his eyes on Noctis, who had closed his own eyes at the absurdity of the situation. "Look, I might not be Gladio, and I'm definitely not Iggy, but it'll take a lot more than getting shot to take me down for good. You know that..." He leaned in more, desperation in his eyes now, even if a smile had graced his lips. "...right?"  
  
"Yeah, I know that," Noctis affirmed, blowing air through his lips in a sort of sigh. "It's still no excuse--"  
  
"If you don't want me to protect you, that's too bad," Prompto interrupted, tapping the side of Noctis's face to get his eyes back to attention, which worked somehow. "I came this far so I could do that, so don't take it away from me. This was my choice, not yours."  
  
"But--"  
  
"No," Prompto interrupted again, tightening his grip on Noctis's hand. "I did my job, but even it it wasn't my job, I'd still do it." He let his head fall slightly, his blond locks falling over his eyes. "It makes me feel like I'm actually... like I'm actually doing something worthy."  
  
"Prom..." Noctis's face softened, in a different way than before, his brow furrowing.  
  
"And y'know," Prompto continued, looking up to stare toward the same corner of the room as before. "That price on your head? It applies to us, too, and they'll have to go through me before I'll ever let them touch you."  
  
"I... I can't let you do that," Noctis replied, lowering his gaze. "I can't let anything happen to you."  
  
"And why's that, Noct?" Prompto asked, still keeping his gaze in the corner. "You think I can't take care of myself? That I'm not good enough?"  
  
"No, it's not that at all!" Noctis responded, a rush in his tone, leaning toward Prompto with the same desperation in his eyes. "It's..."  
  
"It's what?" Prompto finally looked back at him, his eyes shining, but a frown drawing down his mouth.  
  
"I-I..." Noctis's voice caught in his throat, and before he could stop himself, he drew his free hand around Prompto's back and pulled himself in close, nuzzling his face into his neck. "You're worth so much more to me than just a member of my guard. So if if something happened... I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"Yeah, okay," Prompto huffed on a bitter laugh, but it didn't stop him from drawing his own arms around Noctis and snuggling into his shoulder. "You can't really think that."  
  
"Prompto," Noctis groaned, exasperated. He pulled back slightly, just enough to be face-to-face with him. "I've never had someone stick by me this long without royalty or duty getting in the way. You have to understand what that means to me..." He ran a hand up to Prompto's face and caressed his cheek gently, while Prompto kept his eyes locked onto Noctis's face in an unreadable expression. "This... it's hard enough as it is."  
  
"I think I get it," Prompto replied slowly, quietly, a subtle confidence in his voice.  
  
"You do?" Noctis asked hopefully, his eyes widening as Prompto very abruptly moved in closer.  
  
"Yeah," Prompto whispered, his breath ghosting over Noct's lips. "If it's okay..."  
  
Before Noctis could respond, Prompto moved and slid his lips gently and carefully against Noct's, causing Noctis to pull in a gasp through his nose. Prompto's lips where soft, holding back some kind of neediness that Noctis felt himself seeking out, tightening his grip on Prompto's face and leaning into the kiss more. Prompto pulled back far too soon, just inches away, staring into Noctis's half-lidded eyes with a question in his own.  
  
"It's more than okay," Noctis said firmly, earning a chuckle from Prompto.  
  
"I've... been wanting to do that for awhile," Prompto admitted, leaning forward to give Noct a quick peck on his nose.  
  
"Nothing's stopping you now," Noctis replied dryly, a smirk lighting up his eyes.  
  
Prompto smirked back, then let it grow into a full-out mischievous grin. With another peck on Noctis's nose, he barreled Noct over onto his back, laughing at the surprised cough that escaped his throat.  
  
"Ow," Prompto laughed, holding his side. "That was stupid, huh?"  
  
"That's what you get for trying to crush me," Noctis said, drawing his lips into a faux pout.  
  
Prompto laughed, then winced again, leaning over Noctis so their foreheads touched. He kissed Noctis again softly and briefly, pulling back once to check on Noctis, who tried to follow him as he pulled away. He giggled, relieved, and let himself melt into the next kiss this time, Noctis humming against his mouth as he drew his arms around Prompto's back and pulled him down flush with his chest.  
  
It was some time before they separated, Prompto reveling in Noctis's soft lips and Noctis running his hands up through soft blond hair. When they did pull away for a moment, it was with mutual laughter, Noctis leaning up to nuzzle their noses together, and then letting out a small squeak of surprise when Prompto nipped at his nose. The laughter faded, and Prompto stared down at Noctis with a frown, blinking slowly, as if in thought.  
  
"So, you really meant what you said?" he asked, eyes searching Noctis's face as he spoke. "That I'm worth that much to you?"  
  
"You're worth more than I could ever say," Noctis replied, crimson dusting his cheeks. "I... don't know how else to put it."  
  
Prompto's eyes widened for a moment, but then he smiled and leaned in to kiss Noctis again. He went deeper with it, smiling against soft lips as Noctis's fingers grasped for purchase on his vest. He pulled back an inch, small pants from Noctis dusting over his face.  
  
"Love you, too," he breathed with a small chuckle, earning a small gasp in surprise. "Unless that's not what you meant?"  
  
"Shut up," Noctis responded defensively, whining when he went for another kiss and Prompto pulled away just out of reach. "Of _course_ it is."  
  
"Good," Prompto smiled, leaning back in to join their lips again. "I meant it, too."  
  
Noctis made a small noise of affirmation and pulled Prompto back down, kissing him with a new kind of determination that had them both panting into each other's faces. Prompto pushed it farther, nipping at Noctis's bottom lip while he pinned down his jacket with one knee. He drew Noctis's hips up slightly with the slide of one hand, using his other knee to press between his legs just as he pressed his tongue between Noctis's lips.  
  
His eyes lit up as Noctis leaned up into him, and bravery sparked in his gut-- _or it could've been the hormones_ \-- and he brought Noctis's hips up slightly higher, pulling away from his mouth and nipping at his neck just as he pressed his knee in harder.  
  
Noctis gasped loudly and Prompto growled in his throat, throwing his vest and plaid shirt to the side in one motion. He groaned as Noctis grasped at his shirt, managing to find a grip that didn't work on the leather vest. He returned the favor by grasping Noctis's face in one hand, kissing along his jaw.  
  
"I've waited so long for this," he whispered just as the thought entered his mind, too blissed out to care.  
  
"Not longer than me," Noctis replied, his voice breathless.  
  
"Wanna bet?" Prompto asked, a tease in his tone.  
  
"Yeah," Noctis fired back, moving up to nip at Prompto's ear.  
  
" _Okay_ ," Prompto groaned, his voice dropping down into a husky growl. "You're in for it now."  
  
He went in for Noctis's lips again, working them down much harder than before, the hand that held his face moving down between them to work Noctis's shirt up enough to expose a flash of his abdomen. He ran his hand up his skin and under the shirt, raking his nails up his back as Noctis squirmed, holding him still as best as was possible with one hand pressed into his hip. He brought his exploring hand down and hooked his fingers onto black fatigues and drew them down an inch, sinking his teeth into Noctis's bottom lip.  
  
The door opened then, a sudden creaking of wood that had Prompto glancing up in alarm to see Ignis standing in the threshold. He froze, very aware of his hand practically down Noctis's pants, and Noctis must've seen him, too, since his hands had loosened their grip on his shirt. Prompto pulled away and sat back on his knees, running a hand across his messy hair and smoothing out his shirt.  
  
"Hey, Iggy," Prompto said sheepishly, giving a small wave of his hand. "You, uh, heard of knocking?"  
  
"Noct," Ignis said, fixing his glasses on his nose.  
  
"Yeah, Specs?" Noct replied, trying and failing to hide the breathlessness in his voice.  
  
"For one, do be mindful of Prompto's injuries," he said, setting down a sack of what must have been potions onto a table. "And two, sending me a text would save us all some embarrassment. Do consider that for next time." He went for the door again, glancing back once at Prompto's crimson face. "I'll be sure that Gladio doesn't disturb you, just don't be reckless."  
  
And, with that, he left, the door closing behind him. Prompto collapsed back down onto Noctis's chest, snuggling into his neck with his face flushed down to his own chest.  
  
"I thought he was gonna kill me," he whined, letting out a huff in offense when Noctis laughed at him. "Well I _did_!"  
  
"He basically just gave us his blessing," Noctis replied, placing a soft kiss on Prompto's cheek.  
  
"Ugh, he's such a mom," Prompto muttered against Noct's neck, then he yelped when Noctis nipped at his ear again. "What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"Continuing what you started," Noctis replied flatly, though the mischievous gleam in his eyes said more than his voice did.  
  
"What _I_ started?!" Prompto leaned in and blew air on Noctis's face, laughing as his nose scrunched up at the sensation. "I think you started it by being so fucking _adorable_."  
  
"I-what?!" Noctis retorted, his face darkening over with scarlet while Prompto laughed.  
  
"You're too cute," Prompto breathed, leaning down to nip at Noctis's jaw again. "Bet you're even cuter without all these annoying clothes."  
  
"Wanna find out?" Noctis asked with a smirk.  
  
Prompto stole his lips again, working his lips down in a slow, languid kiss, smirking as Noctis's fingers dug into his shirt again.  
  
"I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want this to go explicit, scream away at me.

**Author's Note:**

> So my original plan was NOT for Promptis but here we are


End file.
